Wounded Hearts
by Swagcat
Summary: Seth has finally imprinted. But when he finds out the truth about his sou lmates injuries, the so-called accidents, what will he do to her father? Idea 4 on my profile, rated T just in case
1. Chapter 1

**A/n so, I know that every time I try to write two fanfics at once I tend to give up at the end… and yet I couldn't help it. I've been reading a lot of imprint fics and sometimes they just frustrate me, so I just couldn't help making my own. I'm sorry if I don't update often enough, and check out my other new story, **_**Inconvenience.**_** Thanks!**

**Chapter One**

I can't believe this. The psycho is making me switch schools. I'm not sure why he thinks Forks High School isn't good enough for me. Maybe it's because he doesn't like that I have a lot of friends. Who knows what's going on in my father's mind?

Now I get to be the outcast at the High School in La Push, the Quileute Reservation. Thanks so much, dad. I'm pretty sure there's not one student there who doesn't live on the Rez, who isn't Quileute. Freak-dom, here I come.

I shoved a few more books in my bag and made my way to the kitchen, grabbed a granola bar, and made my way out to my old reddish Buick.

If my dad had never been normal, I'd have had no clue where to go. Back before my mother's accident, the three… no, I can't avoid the existence of the other member of our family. The four of us would go to the beach in La Push.

I sighed. Resistance was futile. I let memories of my little brother, Tommy, flood my brain. He had died in a car crash, along with my mother. My dad had been at home. I was in the passenger side of the car, the side that didn't get smooshed by a school bus. I was the one that survived.

My dad blamed me. He said I should have been practicing my driving that day, so I would've died instead of mom. He still hasn't forgiven me…

I rubbed at a spot on my temple and winced. It was still sore from when he hit me today, and I was sure it would bruise. Nice way to make an impression, a good start to my life as an outcast.

I finally pulled into the school's parking lot. I got out of my car and stood there a moment, looking up at my doom.

**Seth's POV**

I sat boredly in my history class, ignoring the teacher. Mrs. Mikulich had a tendency to ramble on about things totally unrelated to what we were supposed to be learning, so we all got time to just zone out.

I also ignored the sound of the door opening. I knew that everyone who was supposed to be in class was already present, so I figured this would be the new kid that I'd heard about. The one from Forks.

I didn't bother to look. The endless disappointment of tracking down any new girls who came to the school, hoping to find the one, was getting tiresome. However, once the voice spoke up, a shy introduction to the teacher, my interest was sparked. Her voice was… perfect. Musical, soft.

She told the teacher her name. _Cassie Anthony._

I refused to let myself look. I kept my eyes concentrated on my pencil, trying to tune out the conversation going in front of the class. It didn't work.

I heard the teacher instruct Cassie to take the empty seat in the back row. It took me a second to realize that the empty seat in the back row was the one right next to mine.

_Don't look. You'll just be disappointed. _I repeated this in my head over and over again, drilling it in.

The teacher was telling her that to make up for work we had already done this term, she should just take notes on today's class.

"Oh, shoot…" The beautiful voice beside me murmured a minute later. Then the voice grew slightly louder, as if she was facing me. "I can't believe I forgot to bring a pencil. Do you have one I could borrow?"

"Uh, yeah," I muttered brilliantly, picking the pencil up off my desk and holding it out to her. I still stubbornly refused to be disappointed, but as soon as her skin touched mine, I felt a spark, and I couldn't help anymore. I looked.

And I was astonished. Sitting before me was the most beautiful creature I'd ever seen. She could almost pass for Quileute, with her long black hair and perfect tan. The difference was her eyes…. Deep blue, endless blue, that seemed to have _silver _flicking through it. I'd never seen such beautiful eyes…

My world was spinning. Everything in the room blurred, and she was all I could see. I was holding my breath. I took a deep lungful of air in through my nose, taking in her perfect scent. She smelled of vanilla, vanilla and a floral scent I couldn't recognize.

My mind was screaming. _This is the one. You've finally found her._

She was giving me a weird look. I realized that I must have a really strange expression, and had been sitting there for who knows how long and not let go of the pencil. I didn't want to let it go, didn't want to lose the feel of her hand against mine.

I also didn't want to give her a freakish impression of myself. I let go of the pencil, blushing, and mumbled a sorry.

She smiled and turned, starting to scribble down notes on Mrs. Mikulich's lecture.

I watched her write. Her handwriting was beautiful, flowing, the movement of her hand and wrist entrancing. I might have sat there and watched her for the entire period, had she not glanced at me. I hurriedly moved my gaze, so I was looking around the room. No one else seemed to have noticed my strange behavior, no one except Mrs. Mikulich, that is.

"Clearwater, pay attention!" she snapped. I looked in the general direction of the front of the room, but my attention was anywhere but on the teacher. I needed to introduce myself. I had to tell someone in the pack. I had to win her over, I had to let Sam know, I had to calm down. I was starting to hyperventilate, and I immediately slowed my breathing.

What seemed like hours later, the bell rang. I folded my history notebook in half and stuck it in my pocket, then turned to Cassie, who was scrambling through her binder, looking for her schedule.

I spotted her schedule on the floor, picked it up, and handed it to her, but not before I glanced at it and held back an overjoyed "whoop!". I had all but two classes with her. She looked at me, immensely grateful, and thanked me.

"No problem," I said with a smile. "My name is Seth Clearwater."

"Cassie Anthony," She replied, smiling back. I didn't move, just stood and took her in. She wasn't anything at all like I imagined my imprint to be, but I knew she was everything I could've asked for. She was slim, and kind of short. Her hair went halfway down her back in gentle waves.

I looked into her eyes, and I felt like I could read her mind, as they showed so much emotion. She was happy, I could tell, but for what reason I couldn't tell. Did she feel the same connection I did, or was she just glad that someone was talking to her?

Her smile turned a bit awkward and she turned to leave the class. We had been standing there for about a minute, and Mrs. Mikulich was giving us weird looks. As Cassie turned, I noticed a patch of reddish skin just below her hairline, on her temple, that was turning purple. A bruise.

I walked beside her in the hallway, and gently touched the spot and asked, "What happened there?" She jerked back in surprise, and I withdrew my hand.

"Oh," She said with a shaky laugh. "Nothing, really. I was really tired this morning because I didn't get much sleep. I wasn't watching where I was going and I rammed right into my door."

There was something off about her explanation, but I let it go. I walked with her in silence, getting high off her presence.

"So, umm…" She said uncertainly. "Any particular reason you're following me?"

I blinked in surprise? "What? I'm not. I looked at your schedule; we have the next class together."

She laughed out loud. "You're taking foods?"

I shrugged. "A lot of my friends are. We like to eat." I brightened as I thought of next hour. Embry and Jake were in my second hour foods class, and I was bursting to tell them the news.

As soon as we got to class, Cassie went to talk to Mr. Pillsbury (Ironic, right? Mr. Pillsbury teaching Foods) And I went quickly over to Jake and Embry.

"Hey dude, what's up?" Jake asked. "You look like you're about to explode, and you've got this crazy grin on your face."

Embry, however, put things together. He must've seen me walking in with Cassie. He glanced at the front of the room, then back at me. "Her?" He asked simply.

I nodded enthusiastically and waited for Jake to get it. He followed Embry's glance at Cassie and I could almost see a light bulb go up over his head. "OH!" He shouted, then quieted down once he finally realized it. "You finally imprinted?" He must have took my grin as a yes, because he held up his hand and said "Congrats, man!"

I high-fived him, unable to stop smiling. I felt elated; I couldn't seem to calm myself down. I felt unbelievable, like a hole I hadn't even known existed inside me had suddenly been filled.

"Great, isn't it?" Jake said with a knowing smile, as though reading my mind.

"Like you wouldn't believe," I replied, glancing over at Cassie with a smile. Our eyes met and she smiled back, waving from where she was sitting with a few other girls. The three girls turned simultaneously, jealousy sparking in their eyes when they saw who she was waving at. They turned back to her, no doubt asking for the gossip.

He decided not to comment on the fact that he obviously would believe, since he's gone through the same thing.

"Why don't you ask her to sit with us at lunch today?" Embry suggested.

I bit my lip, unsure. I didn't want to seem too… clingy, when I had just met her. Embry rolled his eyes and shoved me forward. "Just go," He insisted. "You're soul mates, what's the worst that could happen?"

I sighed lightly and walked to her table, trying to look casual. "Hey, Cassie." I greeted.

She blushed slightly under the curious stares of the girls she was with. "Hey Seth. What's up?"

"Oh, nothing," I hoped it didn't show how hard I was trying to act cool and calm. "I was just wondering if you wanted to come sit with me and a few of my friends at lunch today?"

She blushed a bit more, and looked thoughtful. "Hmm, it depends. Are all your friends as freakishly tall as those two?" She pointed over at Jake and Embry, and they grinned at me.

"Well… yeah, pretty much," I replied with a small smile.

"Oh…" She muttered, looking reluctant. I frowned, until I noticed her fighting back a smile. She was joking.

"Please?" I said, playing along. I clasped my hands together like a begging child and made puppy dog eyes at her.

She laughed and blushed even harder. "Oh, fine, but only because you're obviously so desperate," She replied, but the shine in her eyes told me she was a lot more eager for lunch than she let on.

I grinned at her, saying "Good, I'll catch you later then?"

She nodded and I turned and walked back to Jake and Embry, ignoring the excited whispers behind me.

I could already tell that third hour would be stretched way too long. It was one of the classes without her, and lunch was right afterward. Yup, third hour gym was going to go on way too long.

**A/n sorry for the crappy end to the chapter, I couldn't think of what to write lol. Hope you like it though!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/n sorry I haven't updated…. Im thinking about just not letting me read any other fanfics unless I've posted a chapter on one of my stories that day…. I think that would be good persuasion to write, don't you? Well this chapter is pretty much coming off the top of my head, I'm not sure exactly what I have planned for this story so I AM OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS! :O)**

**Chapter Two**

**Cassie's POV**

I'm nervous all through third hour Math, and I don't hear a thing that Mr. Graves says. Seth is unbelievably cute, and according to Erica, Brianna, and Morgan, the girls from foods, he's popular too. Erica added with a pout that he hasn't dated anyone for a while, and I'm sure she'd been turned down by him multiple times.

This left me puzzling over why in the world he'd talk to _me, _the new girl, the freak. Maybe he was just being nice. Maybe he thought I _wasn't_ a freak, maybe he liked me. Hah, as if.

When I voiced these thoughts, Bri had rolled her eyes and said, "Are you kidding me? The way he looked at you when he came over here… I've never seen him look at _anyone_ like that. He totally has a thing for you."

At this point I blushed uncontrollably, and the girls laughed at me. Morgan put in that Seth and I would "make pretty babies."

"Ohmigod," She'd gushed. "If they had your wavy hair and your eyes, and his skin, wouldn't that be _gorgeous?"_

Bri and Erica agreed with her, I just blushed harder. "I am not having his children, Morgan," I insisted, trying to control the color in my cheeks. She mumbled a whatever and started chatting with Erica about some new hair product she'd read about in a magazine.

I sighed and tried to focus on the teacher, but sure enough we'd gone over this already at Forks High, so I let my eyes wander the room. I wondered how long it would take to learn everyone's names, because right now everyone looked pretty much the same. There was no doubt much humiliation to come in the form of messing up names.

When the bell finally rang, I almost sprinted for the door, and then slowed myself. I didn't want to seem overly eager to get to lunch, in case one of Seth's friends saw me. I calmly walked down the hall at a pace that made my legs burn. I ended up in the lunch room before most people, so I turned back so I could put my books in my locker, which was pretty close. As I turned I almost rammed into an extremely tall boy.

I mumbled an apology and tried to dart around him, but he stopped me. "Hey, you're Cassie, right? The new girl."

I blinked and looked at him. He looked exactly like Seth and his friends from foods class. "Um yeah, that's me."

"I'm Quil Ateara, a friend of Seth's. Are you sitting with us today?"

"Uh, yeah, I think so…. I mean, Seth asked me to…" I stuttered nervously. Seth's friends are starting to freak me out.

Quil grinned. "Okay, I guess I'll see you then," He said, and I finally went around him. By this time the lunch room was practically swarming, so I ran to my locker and rapidly turned the dial, yanked the door open, threw my books in and slammed it shut.

When I got back to the lunch room, the lines were about a mile long. I groaned and made my way to the nearest one, which was apparently selling pizza. This was going to take _forever._

"Cassie!" I looked up at the sound of my name, and saw one of Seth's friends from foods standing near the front of the line, waving me over. I hesitantly made my way towards him, casting my eyes guiltily away from all the people I was cutting. To my surprise, nobody protested, they just looked at me curiously, then over to the boy. I struggled for a name, and then realized Seth hadn't told me what their names were.

The boy smiled as I reached him, and stuck out his hand. "I don't think we've formally met, I'm Embry Call. We're in the same Foods class."

I shook his hand, and almost jerked mine away. His skin was blazing hot, and I felt like I'd burn myself if I touched him for too long. "Um, are you okay?" I questioned. "You're really… warm."

He smiled at me, and something in his eyes told me he found my question amusing. "Yeah, I run a high temperature. It runs in the family."

"Oh," I said stupidly, not sure how to reply. Luckily we had just gotten to the front of the line, and he had to turn to order. I widened my eyes at the four pieces he ordered. I hadn't realized that you were allowed to order so much.

Once he had his food he stepped to the side to wait for me. As the lunch lady got my single slice of pizza, I sighed in relief. I wasn't sure how much luck I'd have at finding their table in the crowded room if I didn't have a guide.

I grabbed a little carton of milk from the crate and set it on my tray, and stepped out of line. Embry made a beeline for the center of the cafeteria, to the largest table. My eyes widened slightly at the mob of people there. They were all tall and had muscles that showed even through their shirts, and they looked almost exactly the same. Nonetheless, I knew immediately which one was Seth. He was the amazing, gorgeous, perfect one…

I shook my head and refrained from slapping myself. Did I really just think that? I barely know the kid.

Seth laughed at something the boy next to him said and then looked around. His entire face lit up as he saw me, and I amusedly wondered why.

"Cassie!" He called, then shoved the kid out of the chair next to him to make room for me. I blushed and stepped past the grumbling boy on the ground, casting an apologetic look at him, and sat down on the chair.

"Okay," said Seth. "This is Jake and Embry, you know them from Foods, then Quil, he said he met you earlier, then this is Jared, Paul, Brady, Leah, and the one on the floor is Collin." My eyes widened a bit as each name was said. My mind did not have enough space to remember such things. I was, however, glad to see that I wasn't the only girl at the table.

Seth laughed at my expression. "It's okay, you'll get their names eventually."

I blinked and didn't answer, looking carefully at each person in the circle of the table. Of course, they _didn't_ all look the same. I may not draw often, but I have an artist's eye. I could see tiny differences in their faces. The length of their hair, their eyelashes, the shadows indicating differing plains of the face. Differently shaped noses, lips, the shade of their skin, their eyes. Lines made from the different expressions they all used.

"Collin, Leah, Brady, Paul, Jared, Quil, Embry, Jake," I named in reverse, pointing at each person around the table.

They looked at me in surprise, then at each other.

"How did you _do _that?" Collin asked. I noticed he'd finally pulled up a chair so he wasn't standing.

I shrugged. "I have skill."

Jake snickered, and Embry and Seth simultaneously elbowed him in the ribs as I scowled.

In a moment another girl appeared, and Jared scooted his chair backwards so she could sit on his lap. His arms twined around her waist and he set his chin on her shoulder so he could still see the rest of us.

"Cassie, that's Kim, Jared's girlfriend." Seth introduced. "Kim this is Cassie."

Kim smiled kindly at me. "So you're the new girl we've heard so much about?" She shot a teasing look at Seth, and I glanced at him curiously. I could swear I saw a light blush underneath his dark skin.

"Uh, yeah, I suppose I am," I said, putting my attention back on Kim. In a glance she looked rather ordinary, like most other girls at this school, but as I looked at her I saw hidden beauty. Her eyes sparkled beneath perfect lashes, her lips had a nice curve, and her hair looked almost exactly like mine, but more silky. And of course, I couldn't help but notice the way Jared looked at her. Before he'd been kind of silent, resigned, almost grumpy. That look had totally disappeared now, and he stared at Kim with open admiration.

I glanced over at Seth and saw almost the same expression on his face. It took me a moment, but I was startled to realize that that look was directed at me.

He looked quickly away, and I saw the color once again rise to his cheeks, which just made me blush too. I cast my eyes down before glancing around the table to see if anyone else had noticed. They had.

Some of the guys were amused; some of the guys didn't seem to care. Kim was smiling, and she had the look of a person who's just seen something especially cute, like a fluffy kitten. Leah I didn't have time to decipher, because she quickly looked away from me, but her expression was the strangest. It was like a battle between something proud and happy and… well, disgusted. I bit my lip and looked down at my empty food tray.

"So, um," I said awkwardly. I hated the silence. "Seth, what other classes do I have with you?"

"All except Math and Spanish. You're a level ahead of me in español." I looked at my schedule and put my hand over my mouth to hold back a giggle.

"You're in choir?"

He smiled and shrugged. "It's said that girls dig guys who can sing."

Rumbling chuckles went around the table, and I felt my cheeks turn hot again. What did they keep on laughing at?

"Is it true?" Brady inquired, a humorous smile on his face.

I raised my eyebrow and glanced at Seth. "Well, only if you're _good._ Bad singing doesn't really impress the ladies."

They all burst out laughing, including Leah this time, and Seth scowled and mumbled something like "better than any of you are."

At this I laughed with them, and Seth gave me a wounded laugh. Apparently I wasn't supposed to laugh with them. I bit my lip to try and stop the sound, but a distorted snicker still came out.

He looked like someone had just killed his puppy. I felt my heart crumble in my chest as he stared me down. "D-don't give me that look!" I stuttered, forcing myself not to show weakness and look away.

"Why?" He asked, and as he spoke his lip jutted out a bit and he shifted, and a wave of his scent washed over me. He smelled so _natural, _like fresh air and pine trees and sunshine. And there was something underneath it, something wild and musky. No cologne could capture it.

I blinked as I scrambled for the witty response I had prepared, but his scent had completely washed it away. I tried to come up with something else, but I could hardly tell him that I would give in to anything because of that look….

"Um… because…" I glanced at Kim with wide eyes, hoping for some help from her. She just shrugged and I made a face. "It just…" suddenly I dropped as I remembered something. "It's something my brother used to do…" I said sadly. It was true to. My brother would give me that same look, and I'd have promised him the sky if he'd asked it.

Seth blinked and the expression disappeared. "Used to?"

I pulled my feet up onto the orange plastic chair and wrapped my arms around my knees. "He and my mom died two years ago in a car accident. He was only four."

"Oh, God, I'm so sorry Cassie. I didn't mean to…" Seth said, wrapping his arms around me. He was just as warm as Embry's hand had been, and I leaned into him. Instead of blistering, his warmth felt perfect above the chill that had settled over me. It felt right, having him this close. Like this was how it was supposed to be. I sighed and again refrained from smacking myself for such thoughts.

I didn't bother to look at anyone else. I was tired of sympathetic expressions, and I was too comfortable in Seth's arms to care much what they thought at the moment.

"Why are you so cold?" Seth asked me, rubbing his hand along my arm.

"I run a low temperature. It runs in the family," I said, with a glance at Embry to see if he'd noticed my play on his words. He smiled at me and I heard his low chuckle.

Finally the bell rang. I stood, and so did Seth, leaving one arm around my shoulders. I blinked and mused that I had only been at school for a couple of hours and here I am, sporting one of the school's most popular boys…

I said goodbye to the guys, Leah, and Kim, and made my way towards the doors with Seth.

**A/n I really suck at ending chapters…. Sorry. I hope you liked it though :O) Reviews are much appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/n so while I was totally not participating in gym today, I thought of some stuff that I want to put in :O) however, I would still totally LOVE LOVE LOVE it if you would tell me what you would like to see happen in this story!**

**Chapter Three**

I was blushing the entire way to the choir room. Almost everybody was shooting jealous or suspicious glares at either me or Seth. Others were whispering, some people "aww"ed, and a few just ignored us.

One girl approached us, and my eyes almost popped out of my head. She looked like someone the paparazzi should be following, not a cloud of high school boys. Her eyelashes were long, and her lids purposefully drooped so whenever she looked at someone she was flirting. She was tall and slender, with perfect curves and sleek, shiny hair. Her clothing clung to her body, and everything just seemed to accent her beauty.

"Hey, Seth," She cooed in a low, seductive voice. "It's so nice of you to show the new girl around." She cast me a spiteful glance before obviously casting me as useless and ordinary in her mind, and focusing back on Seth. "Hey, I need help with Spanish, and you're just _so _good at it. Would you mind coming over later on, and helping me study?" She batted her eyelashes convincingly.

Seth sighed, and I could imagine him rolling his eyes in his head. "I can't, Melissa. I have plans."

"Something more important than _me?"_ she asked, putting her hand to her mouth like she was faking shock. She was trying to joke around, and I wondered if anyone but me could tell that she wasn't actually joking.

"Yes, as a matter of fact. And we're going to be late for class if we don't get moving, so…" And with that he sidestepped her, pulling me with him. I glanced back and saw the outraged look on Melissa's face, then turned back to Seth with a snicker.

"That was brilliant. I love it when the stuck up gorgeous girls get denied."

"_Gorgeous?_" he asked skeptically. "Are you kidding? There's only one gorgeous girl in this school, and it definitely isn't her."

I felt a sick sinking feeling in my chest. "Oh?" I asked quietly, casting my eyes down to look at my feet. "And who's that?"

He mumbled something that I didn't quite catch, but sounded mysteriously like _As if you don't know,_ and I looked up just in time to see the blush rising to his cheeks. I gave him a curious look, but at that moment the bell rang and we had to run the rest of the way to class.

Only a few minutes into Choir class, I decided that I absolutely _loath _Mr. Ankarlo.

As I was new to the school, he had to see what I sound like and test the length of my skill in sight reading and range. For some reason, the thought didn't occur to him that I could come after school someday for a private session, and he made me do everything in front of the class.

He must not have believed me when I told him I was an alto, because on the scales he kept pushing me higher and higher, until my voice sounded more like a scream than singing. I tried to push the giggles coming from the rest of the students out of my mind, and refused to look at them.

Sight reading was easier. I was an absolute master at it, and as soon as the notes were up on the overhead projector, I read and sang the notes easily. _Do do so fa ti la so._

Of course, I'm pretty sure those aren't the notes I sang that day, and there were more of them, but you get my point. Satisfied with my results, Mr. Ankarlo moved on. He wanted to actually here me sing.

My eyes widened slightly. I started to shake slightly, and I started gnawing on my lower lip. I can't sing in front of the _class. _I mean, range and scales and sight reading, that I can do, somehow they're different, but actually singing, alone, in front of a bunch of people…

It's not that I'm a bad singer, I'm not, really, I just get so nervous, and when I get nervous, I squeak, I screw up, I run from the room…

I almost cried in relief when I heard the familiar voice coming from the rest of the class.

"Is that really necessary, Mr. Ankarlo?" Seth asked. "I mean, you already heard her, didn't you? And it's not like you won't hear her among the rest of us."

Mr. Ankarlo gave Seth a look, and I gulped hard. I didn't let myself watch them, afraid for some reason, so I missed their silent argument. At last, Mr. Ankarlo sighed, and instructed me to sit down.

I heaved a relieved sigh, and shot an immensely grateful look at Seth. He just grinned and winked at me in return, and I took my seat.

The rest of the class was a bit of a struggle, with me trying to find the correct pronunciation to the words of the Irish song we were learning, _Oro Mo Bhaidin._

As soon as class let out, instead of letting me thank him, Seth helped me with wording as we were walking down the hallway.

"_Crock hay may shole tah ihs gah oh hay may sheer" _he says slowly, and I stare straight ahead in concentration, trying to drill this into my head. "And don't forget to roll the R at the end of sheer.

I nodded and glanced at my schedule. "Okay. And thanks for saving my butt in choir back there. What class do you have next?"

"Spanish, level one."

I sighed and made a face. If he'd have only started Spanish last year, he would be in my class this year. I had nowhere near the energy to get through another class period without him.

He must have noticed because he put his arm around my shoulders and gave me a light squeeze. "It'll be okay," he promised. "I'm only one room away if you need any butt saving." He grinned at me and I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind the next time the teacher picks on me. 'Seth! Oh help, the teacher is trying to make me answer questions!'"

He laughed and stopped walking. I glanced over, and saw that we were in front of my next classroom. I attempted a smile at Seth, but it probably came out as more of a grimace as I walked into my class.

Spanish went by rather quickly, to my surprise, with me only paying half attention and putting out words like _barbilla, _chin, _afeitarse, _to shave oneself, but the teacher didn't call on me often so I mostly didn't have to worry about it.

When the bell rang I almost ran to the door, and Seth was already waiting there for me. I smiled, and as he smiled back I felt something release inside me, something I hadn't really realized was there, but it made me feel better that it was gone. It was like I had been suffocating all hour, and Seth's smile was a breath of air.

Wow, look at my thoughts going all cheesy about some boy. This is _so _not me. But there's something about him that I can't deny, something pulling me towards him. Like he has his own gravitational force.

Science went by much like Spanish. Seth sat on the opposite side of the room, and my partner kept hitting on me. He wasn't bad looking, per se, but he didn't have any of the allure that Seth held.

Speaking of which, I couldn't help but notice the death glares that Seth kept sending in his direction. It made me curious, and happy, and a bit offended. Why weren't boys allowed to hit on me? On the other hand, I was flattered that he cared.

I shook my head and tried focusing on the lab we were working on. Freezing naphthalene was incredibly boring, but I did learn that freezing things has nothing to do with coldness, because naphthalene freezes at room temperature.

The walk to English with Seth was silent. He was stewing in his frustration, and sometimes I would see him trembling.

"Seth? Uh, are you okay?" I asked timidly

"Fine," he muttered, sounding anything _but_ fine. "Your lab partner just pisses me off. He's so full of himself; he thinks he's _so _great. It's sick," He spat.

"Um, if it helps, I don't think he's that great at all." _He's got nothing on you._

After that, Seth's mood brightened considerably, and English was pleasant enough. We were watching Romeo and Juliet, the most modern version. Seth's desk was right next to mine this hour, and in the dark, I had trouble paying attention to the movie. I was more focused on the video playing in my head, starring Seth Clearwater.

I purposefully bit the inside of my cheek to make myself stop. These fantasies _had_ to be unhealthy. I'd known Seth for one day, and this… On the upside, the fantasies were much healthier than the blood that was now flowing in my mouth. Oh, crap. Blood. I was too used to inflicting pain upon myself so my dad would be merciful, and I'd bitten myself too hard.

I jumped up and leaned over the garbage can, spitting out a mouthful of blood and gagging on the overwhelming tang of it.

Seth was at my side in an instant, and the teacher, seeing the commotion, came over to see what was going on.

I held up my hand to them, spitting into the garbage one more time. "I'm good, I'm good. I accidentally bit the inside of my cheek, and it started bleeding. No big deal, I'm good," I assured them.

The teacher nodded in acceptance and went to sit back at her desk. Seth looked like he didn't really believe me, but he didn't say anything and sat back down.

I grimaced at the taste that was now stuck in my mouth, spit one more time, and went back to my seat. Somehow I wasn't surprised to see the neatly folded square of paper on my desk.

**What really happened just now?**

I glanced over at Seth and sighed.

_Nothing, seriously. I bit myself on accident._

**I don't believe you.**

_Obviously not, or we wouldn't be having this conversation._

**Why won't you tell me?**

_There's nothing to tell. Now stop, the teacher is watching us._

After that he tossed the little bit of paper into the trash can and pretended to pay attention to the screen. I didn't even bother. I took out the little sketch book I kept with me at all times and started to doodle. I watched as though it was someone else drawing and not myself, seeing an eye appear, and another, a mouth curved up into an awkward smile, a perfect nose, a tint of blush on the cheeks… I found myself smiling as I drew.

That is, until I noticed that my drawing looked incredibly similar to Seth. I quickly flipped to the next page and glanced over to see if he had noticed. He was smiling towards the front of the room, purposefully not looking at me, so I'm pretty sure he had.

I propped my head up on one arm and started drawing on the fresh page. A flurry of things rushed my brain and appeared on the page. A knife, a fist, a broken heart, a broken bone. An eye-shaped cloud, pouring rain, a face half friendly, half threatening. I slammed the book shut as the bell rang.

I walked out the door with Seth, who followed me to my locker, even though I'm pretty sure his locker isn't anywhere near mine, without mentioning anything about English. He waited until I had all my stuff and then followed me to the doors of the school, apparently not needing anything from his own locker.

"Cassie," He said, pausing. "I want you to meet someone."

"Um, okay… where is he?" I asked.

"Well, that's the thing. He's not here, you have to come with me." He smiled and took my hand. "This way,"

I panicked immediately. I couldn't _go _anywhere, my dad would absolutely kill me if I wasn't home on time. I tugged away, protesting. "Seth, no, I can't"

"C'mon, You'll love Sam and Emily!"

"Seth, _no!"_ I said, my voice rising, and I finally managed to pull my hand away and sprinted for my car, trying unsuccessfully to push his hurt expression out of my mind as I started the engine.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/n sorry again for the long time without updating. I've already mentioned that I'm not that great at it, as I'm a horrid procrastinator. I was thinking that maybe I'd take some time off and just keep writing, and then post a whole bunch at one time. Would you guys like that or would you rather I just keep being irregular? One other thing, like I say I don't demand reviews anymore, I'm past that, but I really would like you guys to review and tell me what you like and what you want to see. And I would probably update more often if I got reviews, you know, have some motivation. Anyway, enough stalling, here's the chapter!**

**Chapter Four**

I felt horrible as I sped the entire way home, thanking God that I didn't pass any policemen. I couldn't get Seth's hurt face out of my mind. I wanted to blame my dad, I really did, but I know I should have given Seth an explanation instead of just pulling away and running.

I glanced at the clock and swore under my breath. My dad would be home in five minutes, and he'd be furious if I got home after him. I pressed harder on the gas pedal and got to the house with two minutes to spare. I slammed my door shut and sprinted to the house, fumbling with my keys. I finally got in and shut the door behind me, heaving a relieved sigh.

That is, until I heard tires coming up the driveway. _Crap!_

I kicked my shoes off on the mat and darted upstairs, throwing my backpack in the corner, then cursed and grabbed it again so I could dig out my homework. I heard the door open downstairs as I set my math book on my desk and threw my backpack back into the corner.

"Cassie?" My father called.

"Up here!" I shouted back. "I'm doing my homework!"

"Good girl," He called back, and I could hear him shuffling around. I closed my eyes and took deep breaths. He seemed to be in a good mood, so I should be able to get away without any damage tonight. Which, of course, was all for the better, as I didn't doubt Seth would hunt down any injury I had and question me about it. That and it's not like I'm really a big fan of the pain.

Luck was on my side, because the evening passed without any trouble. I stayed upstairs in my room even once I was done with my homework, and dad brought me up a hot pocket on a plate for dinner. I smiled and thanked him, and he went back downstairs to watch a game on TV.

I sighed and sat on my desk chair, staring at my ceiling. My dad wasn't all bad, I suppose. On days like today he showed flickers of normality, snippets of the man he'd once been.

The evening passed quickly, and before I knew it, it was bedtime. I skipped downstairs to the bathroom to wash my face and then walked to the kitchen for a quick glass of water.

"Do you have to be so loud?" My dad shouted from the couch. I hadn't been aware I was making much noise at all.

"Sorry dad, I'll try to be quieter," I said obediently before tiptoeing carefully back upstairs. I sighed in relief when he didn't pick a fight over it and slipped into my bedroom.

I lay in bed awake for an hour or two, with you-know-who on my mind. Would he be mad at me for running away? Would he talk to me? Would he have forgotten about it already and be just as friendly as he had been today? I didn't know him well enough to be able to guess.

I eventually fell asleep, my dreams filled with the lilting howl of wolves.

I snapped awake as the sun peered through my windows and slammed my hand on my alarm clock. I sat for a moment, listening intently. Had it just been the dream, or had I really heard a scratching, whining sound outside? I heard nothing, and got up to peer out my window. Nothing but the normal front yard, no traces of anything canine.

I shrugged and dug through my closet, eventually choosing a blue shirt that brought out my eyes and a pair of torn jeans. I ran a brush through my hair and made my way through my other daily routines. Finally came time to leave and I threw on my jacket, running through the rain to my car.

As I slammed the car door shut behind me, I sat and waited for everything to heat up. I stiffened in surprise, a little bit afraid at the sudden howl of a wolf outside. It sounded so _close._

Ignoring the fact that my hands were still partially numb, I pulled quickly out of the driveway and drove towards the school, trying to forget the howl. There's no way a wolf would come that close to civilization…. Is there? I didn't really know much about wolves, I suppose, but I was hoping they would stay away. I wasn't in much of a mood to be attacked by some bloodthirsty animal.

I sighed in relief as I pulled into the school parking lot, but as soon as I opened my door I wished I'd parked closer to the school. I ducked my head down and jogged towards the school.

As I entered the school building, my entire body relaxed as a wave of heat washed over me. I was incredibly glad that the school had a furnace.

I blew on my frozen hands on the way to my locker, rubbing them together and trying to get the blood flowing. Did it have to be so darn cold here?

I fumbled with the dial on my locker, and I swear it took about three minutes to get it open. As soon as I had grabbed my stuff and slammed the locker shut, the bell rang, signaling that we could go to our classes. I made my way to the stairs, hurrying to get to class and find Seth.

I felt as though my entire being drooped when I saw the empty seat, but I shook it off. The final bell hadn't rung yet; he might still be in the hallway. I sat in my seat and started taking out my history things, shoving extra supplies under my chair.

I stared at the clock, tapping my fingers on the desk. Three minutes till the bell, two, and one. _Ring._ I stared gloomily at the empty desk next to mine. Where was he?

History dragged along, and when the bell rang I shuffled all the way to foods. Of course, Seth wasn't here either, and neither were Jake or Embry. I tried my hardest to act normal as I took my spot with the girls, but I'm sure they noticed something was off, though they didn't mention it.

Foods slid by just as slowly as history, but luckily math seemed normal. Maybe because he wouldn't have been in my class anyway, who knows?

I hurried to my locker once math was done, because I was absolutely starving, and of course to ask one of the guys where Seth had disappeared to.

I speed walked into the cafeteria to get a good spot in line. I paid no attention to the food that was placed on my tray as I scanned the room, looking for anyone incredibly tall. As it turned out, there were plenty of tall kids here, but none of them were the ones I was looking for.

How were all of them gone? It made no sense. I sighed dejectedly and started to look around for Bri or Erica, when I saw someone wave out of the corner of my eye. I turned and saw Kim motioning for me to come sit with her at an otherwise empty table.

I made my way over with relief and sat next to her. "Hey, Kim, where are the guys today? And Leah?"

"Um… I'm not really sure?" Kim said nervously, making it sound like a question.

I had a suspicious feeling that she _was _really sure, but I didn't say anything.

We spent the fifty minute lunch hour chatting comfortably, and it felt like I'd known her all my life, but I was curious as to the hasty change of subject when I mentioned the wolf I'd heard this morning.

The second half of the day went exactly like the first half had. Mr. Ankarlo didn't pick on me in choir, and I spoke up more in Spanish.

My lab partner, Cal, seemed more determined to win my heart today than he had yesterday, and it was probably partly because Seth wasn't here to shoot daggers at him. I really wished he was.

In English I added more detail to the drawing that I now openly admit is of Seth. In the bottom corner, a wolf magically appeared. I stared at it in surprise, not having remembered drawing it. Then again, my mind tends to wander when I draw, so that wasn't exactly surprising.

I made my way gloomily to my locker, feeling Seth's absence like a gaping wound in my side. Was he gone because of me? No, no that couldn't be it. I mean, he wouldn't skip just because he was mad at me, or sad, would he?

The air around me was thick with my confusion and worry and anger, the latter directed at myself. Why did I have to be such an idiot?

I sighed as I made my way out into the rain, across the parking lot. As I neared my car, I looked up, my keys in hand, and blinked in surprise. Was the rain making me see things? I blinked again, and he was still there.

I felt all my unhappiness crumble around me as a grin split across my face.

Because there, leaning against my car, was Seth.


End file.
